RABdad (Richard Boyd)

Comment history

It was a nice day! It seems that whatever the weather is KU graduation signals the hottest day of the year. I suspect it is the stadium. Walking across the 50 yard line one does gain a certain appreciation of the conditions the football players endure on those hot early fall games!I finished my EIGHT years with an MD. In some ways I feel like I just started and in other ways I do not remember my 38 years before 2000!One minor confession, since I had to commute to Wichita after the "show", I slipped out before the all to soon STICKY Champagne flew.

Does this "great revelation" come as a surprise to anybody?This is why we as Kansans should always remember just how BAD it is to elect people who cannot see the difference between the state and religion. Mixing your beliefs with your civics works out well for you if you get your guy in there, but since you can't win them all... then what?After all, (many combinations: Hindu: Buddhist or Muslim: Jew) would the "Evangelicals" be happy if, say a "Catholic" or "Mormon" got elected and set policy based on religion, and follow the very religious, proud and time honored tradition (I did not insert a specific faith here on purpose) which dictates that at all times followers must; 1. Consider that [MY, OUR church, denomination, synod etc.] is "right" (correct interpretation, doctrine etc.) and 2. Yours is "wrong" and therefore you are "misguided" (more eclectic) at a minimum or "going to H_LL" at a maximum (more fanatical). The framers were no dummies

The thing that troubles me, is NOT his position. Granted, I am on the opposite side of this one, after all if we fail to build it the co-op is simply going to eastern Colorado to plant it. In which case we would get ALL of the CO2, but of course none of economic benefit or later the electricity.My trouble is the HYPOCRISY of his attitude, he is a servant of Kansans (albeit in this case through our elected legislature). Being a democrat, I am surprised how soon the forgets this EXACT same strategy is employed by the more fanatical "religious" types. That is if the current law, court rulings or legislative paradigms do not agree with your position or beliefs then you do whatever is necessary to impose your personal views in order to proscribe or constrain some otherwise legal activity. The mega-church sponsored "anti-abortion grand jury" in Wichita is the example that comes to mind. Contrary to the law of the land, they pine away for private medical records, referal lists and fish for any sort of juicy tid-bit to find it's way (post on) the website. They attempt to do in the courts what they can't in the legislature.

Yep, this one is pretty sweet...Roy knows how to choke in the big one... I am only glad this time it was for them. I so very VIVIDLY recall sitting in that darn frozen football stadium when we lost to the "Orangemen", and remember vividly the week of sickening disappointment that followed. Finally we have come full circle!Hooray! Bill Self and Jayhawk team for a job well done!

Boy, what a rotten year for politics for me, REAL enthusiasm for a candidate for the first time in decades!

I am traditionally a conservative: fiscal responsibility, free market, individual rewards in education and life limited only by individual initiative and effort without barriers of any type.

Everyone has the freedom to choose a faith and have the absolute right to practice and adhere to it tenants as the conscious dictates, likewise parents have the right and indeed a responsibility to teach these beliefs to YOUR children (with the least practical number of specific codified circumstances in which the state may interfere). I see no problem with religious access to public space, assuming strictly voluntary, after hours etc.

However, your faith and beliefs do NOT to extend beyond your family or house of worship. It is an absolute anathema for the state to sponsor such beliefs regardless of the euphemistic designation such as "intelligent design". Furthermore, religious beliefs can NEVER supersede public law in order to explicitly or implicitly to proscribe otherwise legal activities and behavior or EVER using a religious philosophy or dogma to gain a vested sense of entitlement to encroach on the rights and prerogatives of others .

One item I have grown to advocate the need to establish (some form of) universal access to primary care.

I had come to admire and appreciate Barak Obama. This might be wrong headed but I simply cannot suffer Hillary Clinton, it is not because of who she is ie. "woman" but WHAT she is, does and represents: shape-shifting, pandering, duplicitous, ruthless, unethical, less-than-truthful, underhanded, disloyal, poor-sport, manipulative... I could go on and on.

SO I am going to have some extra time this summer, it was all decided TODAY. Unless Obama pulls this out, I am going to march right in there, hold my nose, maybe even close my eyes, and pull that lever for John McCain. And here I was all primed to step off in a new direction; instead here we go with my former:

When I started at KU in 2000, the university was proudly listed in the Fiske Guide as a "best buy"; I do not understand what is fundamentally "wrong" with such a ranking. Indeed this really mirrors the practical and traditional "value-minded" Midwestern sensibilities, a good school reasonably priced, the problem of course it is still "just" a good school but is not longer a "best buy".

From my perceptions NO justifiable amount of money would ever entice some "either coast" researcher here. Fair or not this is Kansas and not Cambridge MA. We will NEVER be an east or west coast school no matter how high our tuition goes. We will never be Stanford or MIT (nor frankly would I want to be), but what we can do is price "regular" Kansans out of a solid but economical education.

I think we need to be cautious as to what balance we strike. I think raising the admissions standards from "automatic" to Kansas High School graduates was reasonable. (Although it seems odd to then turn around and give "priority recruitment" to students who are unable to meet the new admission standards... another discussion another time)

Interesting, what area were you teaching? I started my own KU trip at age 38 in 2000. I enjoyed my first trip down the hill in 2004 and I will get a special encore in May.

The "graduate program" that I am finishing up presently, is arguably *THE most competitive*, it is interesting that the young people I hung around with in Lawrence, the ones seeking admission to the same program, were as a general rule a very studious lot. They had to be great students all the time without excuses...

I had occasion to teach physiology labs from 2001 to 2004, Bio 647 (at the time anyway) was a required prerequisite for the school of pharmacy. Needless to say, these kids were noted to be "business like" at a minimum. I simply loved teaching these highly motivated bright young people.

Please Phil, we do not "want you back" in any way shape or form. For me you transformed from a politician (eligible for election) to "religious promoter" thus unfit for AG, the minute you gave the sermon at the "Northridge" church up our way. Hint: family values are great for campaigning, AG's uphold laws and prosecute criminals... religious crusades, that is abuse of power for some religious causes are quite another. I hope the "collection plate" that day was worth it, because I for one will never cast a vote for you again.

While it was proper for Morrison to quit under the circukmstances, we do not need another Phil Kline.